People have utilized creative art drawing and painting as a means of expression throughout history. From the early cave paintings of prehistoric times to the various methods of artistic expression developed throughout the ages, humans have created and modified forms of artistic expression to suit their talents, personal preferences and needs for expression. Some forms have been simple drawings, such as those produced by small children painting with their fingers, while others have been exotic, intricate works created by professional artists and embodying a variety of ways of perceiving and depicting images of real and imagined scenes.
Generally, such paintings are created on two dimensional pieces of canvas, parchment or paper, or other surfaces, by applying paints, chalks, or other pigmented media of color to create an image to the satisfaction of the artist. Because of the limitations of depicting a three dimensional world in two dimensions, there has been a movement to create two dimensional images having a three dimensional effect.
Attempts to create such an effect have occurred through the use of texturing portions of an image in accordance with the desired depth appearance, through studies in the use of perspective and shading, through the creation of computer generated images embodying three dimensional effects, through the use of images viewed differently by each eye of the beholder, and through other means intended to create the perception of depth within the image.
Unfortunately, many of these means are complicated and require great skill or time, or require expensive and complicated equipment to create them. The average person or child wanting to create an image having a three dimensional effect cannot easily or quickly create such a design. Accordingly, there has been a long felt need for a simple and quick method for creating dramatic three dimensional effects in images that is not dependent upon the artistic skill or technological aptitude of the artist involved.
One means for addressing this need can be found in the development of simple, color-based images viewed with specialized stereoscopic apparatus. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,717,239 and 4,597,634, both to Steenblik, teach a stereoscopic process and apparatus for viewing stereoscopic images. The apparatus may include either diffractive or refractive elements, or both. The Steenblik patents teach that diffractive or refractive elements may be used to bend light of different colors to different degrees, such that portions of an image of one color will appear to a person looking through the element to be at a depth different than portions of the image of another color, as a result of the difference between the amount of angular deflection of the light rays of each color. Accordingly, a three dimensional effect may be generated through the use of a diffracting or refracting element in combination with a single or multi-color image.
Steenblik teaches that the most notable three dimensional effect is observed when colors that are far apart in the visible spectrum are used in the image. Steenblik showed that the greatest degree of separation of image portions occurs when one portion is colored red and another portion is colored blue. When viewed through a prism, a portion of the image which is colored red can be made to appear more distant than the portion of the image which is colored blue, as a result of the angular deflection of wavelengths of blue and red light relative to each other. Other portions of the image may be made to appear at intermediate distances by using intermediate colors such as yellow and green.
Attempts have been made to incorporate the process and apparatus taught by Steenblik into commercial items for drawing or painting creative art images. A stereoscopic apparatus similar to that taught by Steenblik was used in a product sold under the name Crayola.RTM., a trademark of Binney and Smith of Easton, Pa. This product incorporated a box of markers and a stereoscopic viewing apparatus having diffractive elements. When images were drawn with the markers, however, it was noticed that very little, if any, separation of the depth of colors was observed with the viewing apparatus.
Another product incorporating a stereoscopic apparatus was used in a product sold under the name SpiroGraph.RTM. a trademark of Hasbro, Inc., of Pawtucket, R.I. This product incorporated a red pen and a blue pen for drawing images which could be viewed with a stereoscopic apparatus such as that taught by Steenblik. Again, however, very little, if any, impact of three dimensional perception was observed. Several other manufacturers have also attempted to incorporate products using various colored drawing media and stereoscopic apparatus with little or no success. Accordingly, it can be seen that there is a need for a system for creating and viewing stereoscopic images which provides a high degree of three dimensional separation of image portions, and which can be supplied in a commercial product that allows simple and quick creation of such images.
The present invention, therefore, is directed to a stereoscopic system for quickly and easily creating and viewing images having a high degree of three dimensional perception. The present invention is also directed to the presentation of this system and articles for practicing it in a kit form for creating designer art images having stereoscopic properties, regardless of the level of artistic skill or technical aptitude of the artist. The present invention is also directed toward a method for producing and viewing, as well as a system for viewing, such stereoscopic creative art images.